Some time when the river is ice ask me
mistakes I have made. Ask me whether
what I have done is my life. Others
have come in their slow way into
my thought, and some have tried to help
or to hurt: ask me what difference
their strongest love or hate has made.

I will listen to what you say.
You and I can turn and look
at the silent river and wait. We know
the current is there, hidden; and there
are comings and goings from miles away
that hold the stillness exactly before us.
What the river says, that is what I say.

William Stafford

Reprinted by permission of
Graywolf Press
"Ask Me" by William Stafford copyright 1977, 1998 by the Estate of William Stafford
Originally published in The Way It Is: New & Selected Poems, Graywolf Press, Minneapolis, MN.

FROM THE EDITOR

This will be my last newsletter as Editor.
After three years, I feel that a new captain is needed to sustain the
quality of the publication and improve it’s content. Therefore, I
confidently hand over the bridge to Susan Thomas, who is eminently
qualified to take command (more so than I ever was).

The goal of the newsletter has been and will continue to be to reach
out to our members and the community at large in support of the mission
of the BRWA and to provide readers not only with our news, but also with
news and information from the local community and the world that affects
watersheds and the environment as a whole.

Thank you for your readership, support, and the many kind words over
the last three years. Please continue to read, contribute stories,
photos, poems and other material, and spread the word about the BRWA
and our Watershed.

BRWA NEWS

BRWA Winter Hike

The BRWA will host a Winter Hike, Saturday January 26, 1 pm to 2:30 pm, at
Purgatory Chasm State Reservation in Sutton, MA.
Join us as we explore one of the lesser known trails in the Reservation.

Susan Thomas, Program Assistant for the BRWA, and Natural
History Guide for Mass Audubon at Broad Meadow Brook,
will guide us on a scenic hike from the hemlock and oak
groves of this magnificent park past wetlands and streams
down to “Little Purgatory” – a magical spot often
overlooked by visitors who come to view the Park’s famous
name-sake chasm. Along the way, Susan will share her
knowledge of the plants and wildlife of the area as well
as the historical and geological features of this renowned
state reservation.

This will be a moderate 1.5 mile hike. The ground is
uneven and could be snow covered or muddy depending on the weather.
Wear appropriate footwear and bring water.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information or
to RESERVE YOUR SPOT, please email
events@thebrwa.org
or call 508-278-5200.

"The Cost of Clean" ArticlesWe call your attention to a recent series of
articles that appeared in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette.
The articles explore some of the challenges and debates surrounding
the cleanup and protection of the Blackstone River and it’s watershed.
Also provided are several videos and related information.

Area Towns Review EPA NPDES Draft PermitsThe watershed towns of Uxbridge, Northbridge and Grafton
reviewed the EPA draft permits issued to their respective wastewater
treatment facilities. Most controversial in the new permits are more
stringent limits on Nitrogen and Phosphorous. The stricter limits are a
response to indications that the predominant impairment to water quality
is due to excessive nutrients entering the river from sewage plants, septic
and storm water runoff. Here is a link to the
official response to the EPA from the Grafton Board of Sewer
Commissioners that reflects the concerns of the smaller treatment
facilities that discharge into watershed rivers and streams.

Massachusetts Developers
to Pay a Fine for Clean Water Act Violations in UxbridgeExcerpt from a 12/11/2012 EPA News Release

EPA and Albee Realty Trust have resolved a penalty
action for discharges of silt-laden storm water associated with development
of a seven lot residential subdivision in Uxbridge, Mass., in violation
of the federal Clean Water Act. Under the agreement, Albee will pay a penalty of $24,000.

Want the facts on endangered species in Massachusetts?
Visit MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species web page at
www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/species_info/mesa_list/mesa_list.htm.
Fact sheets for all state-listed birds, fish, mammals, reptiles,
amphibians, invertebrates and plants have been posted.
(Sea turtles and five whale do not have fact sheets.)
Each fact sheet includes an image or drawing of the species,
a brief description, listing of similar species, habitat preferences,
life history, range map, management recommendations and references.

Cleantech Innovations New England’s-EPA Water ChallengeCleantech Innovations New England is providing
awards to teams of up to $130,000 as part of the i6 Green Challenge,
funded by EPA in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce and
the Department of Energy. This challenge seeks technologies that offer
long-term, resilient, and market-based solutions to the problem of
nutrient pollution caused by insufficient wastewater treatment in coastal
areas.

Existing septic systems, upon which a high proportion of New England
communities depend, are designed to adequately treat bacteria but are not
designed to remove nutrients from the wastewater. Of particular concern
to coastal communities is nitrogen which is currently expensive to remove
with existing septic system technology. The funds will be awarded to
develop affordable technologies to reduce nitrogen discharge from septic
systems, recover nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) from wastewater
and possibly create energy.

Cleantech Innovations New England is a new, region wide program led by
the New England Clean Energy Foundation to accelerate the pace and scale
of new clean energy ventures across all six New England states.